Polyphaga is the largest and most diverse

suborder Order ( la, ordo) is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy. It is classified between family and class. In biological classification, the order is a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms and ...

beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

s. It comprises 144 families in 16 superfamilies, and displays an enormous variety of specialization and adaptation, with over 350,000 described species, or approximately 90% of the beetle species so far discovered. Key characteristics of Polyphaga are that the hind coxa (base of the leg) does not divide the first and second abdominal/ventral plates which are known as sternites. Also, the notopleural suture (found under the pronotal shield) is not present.

Etymology

The name of ''polyphaga'' is derived from two Greek words: , meaning 'many', and , meaning 'to eat', so the suborder is called the “eaters of many things”.

Classification

The five main infraorders are: * Bostrichiformia — including furniture beetles and

skin beetle Dermestidae are a family of Coleoptera that are commonly referred to as skin beetles. Other common names include larder beetle, hide or leather beetles, carpet beetles, and khapra beetles. There are over 1,100 species described. Dermestids have ...

s * Cucujiformia — includes

lady beetle Coccinellidae () is a widespread family of small beetles ranging in size from . They are commonly known as ladybugs in North America and ladybirds in Great Britain. Some entomologists prefer the names ladybird beetles or lady beetles as they ...

longhorn beetle The longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae), also known as long-horned or longicorns, are a large family of beetles, with over 35,000 species described. Most species are characterized by extremely long antennae, which are often as long as or longer than ...

weevil Weevils are beetles belonging to the superfamily Curculionoidea, known for their elongated snouts. They are usually small, less than in length, and herbivorous. Approximately 97,000 species of weevils are known. They belong to several families, ...

checkered beetle Cleridae are a family of beetles of the superfamily Cleroidea. They are commonly known as checkered beetles. The family Cleridae has a worldwide distribution, and a variety of habitats and feeding preferences. Cleridae have many niches and fee ...

s and leaf beetles * Elateriformia — includes click beetles and fireflies *

Scarabaeiformia Scarabaeoidea is a superfamily of beetles, the only subgroup of the infraorder Scarabaeiformia. Around 35,000 species are placed in this superfamily and some 200 new species are described each year. Its constituent families are also undergoing ...

— includes scarab beetles,

stag beetle Stag beetles are a family of about 1,200 species of beetles in the family Lucanidae, currently classified in four subfamilies.Smith, A.B.T. (2006). A review of the family-group names for the superfamily Scarabaeoidea (Coleoptera) with corrections ...

s, and dung beetles *

Staphyliniformia Staphyliniformia is a large infraorder of beetles. It contains over 70,000 described species from all regions of the world. Most species occur in moist habitats - various kinds of rotting plant debris, fungi, dung, carrion, many live in fresh wat ...

— includes rove beetles and water scavenger beetles Phylogenetic studies have also suggested that Scirtoidea ( Scirtidae, Decliniidae), Clamboidea ( Clambidae, Derodontidae, Eucinetidae), '' Rhinorhipus'' and

Nosodendridae Nosodendridae is a family of beetles, with only 67 species in three extant genera, which are found worldwide. '' Nosodendron'', the largest genus, is found in forests and attracted to yeast generated slime on the wounds of trees, and likely consu ...

are independent lineages of Polyphaga that lie outside these groups. The internal classification of Polyphaga involves several superfamilies or series, whose constituents are relatively stable, although some smaller families (whose rank even is disputed) are allocated to different clades by different authors. Large superfamilies include Hydrophiloidea,

Staphylinoidea Staphylinoidea is a superfamily of beetles. It is a very large and diverse group with worldwide distribution. Description Adult staphylinoids are generally small beetles no more than a few millimetres long, though Staphylinidae can reach 50 mm ...

, Scarabaeoidea,

Buprestoidea Buprestoidea is a superfamily of beetles. It contains two families: * Buprestidae Leach 1815, the jewel beetle Buprestidae is a family of beetles known as jewel beetles or metallic wood-boring beetles because of their glossy iridescent colo ...

Byrrhoidea Byrrhoidea is a superfamily of beetles belonging to Elateriformia that includes several families which are either aquatic or associated with a semi-aquatic habitat. Other than the superfamily Hydrophiloidea, most of the remaining Polyphagan beetl ...

, Elateroidea, and

Bostrichoidea Bostrichoidea is a superfamily of beetles. It is the type superfamily of the infraorder Bostrichiformia. Description The Bostrichoidea are united by the following features: modified cryptonephridism, the structure of the aedeagus in males, an ...

. The infraorder Cucujiformia includes the vast majority of phytophagous (plant-eating) beetles, united by cryptonephric Malpighian tubules of the normal type, a cone ommatidium with open rhabdom, and lack of functional spiracles on the eighth abdominal segment. Constituent superfamilies of Cucujiformia are

Cleroidea Cleroidea is a small superfamily of beetles containing over 10,000 species. Most of the members of the group are somewhat slender, often with fairly soft, flexible elytra, and typically hairy or scaly. Description Cleroidea is defined by the f ...

Cucujoidea Cucujoidea is a superfamily of beetles. This group formerly included all of the families now included in the superfamily Coccinelloidea. They include some fungus beetles and a diversity of lineages of "bark beetles" unrelated to the "true" bark ...

, Tenebrionoidea, Chrysomeloidea, and

Curculionoidea Weevils are beetles belonging to the superfamily Curculionoidea, known for their elongated snouts. They are usually small, less than in length, and herbivorous. Approximately 97,000 species of weevils are known. They belong to several families, ...

. Evidently adoption of a phytophagous lifestyle correlates with taxon diversity in beetles, with Cucujiformia, especially

s (

), forming a major radiation.

References

External links

Phylogeny of Insects

Site devoted to Staphyliniformia

site devoted to stag beetles

news article highlighting the damage caused by Longhorn beetles
* Insect suborders {{Polyphaga-stub

Etymology

Classification

See also

References

External links